Inslee lowers age of those eligible for vaccines

OLYMPIA — When residents will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine depends on how many doses the federal government delivers and how many the state can administer in a day.

Currently, the state is receiving 100,000 doses per week and administering 14,000 doses per day.

Gov. Jay Inslee acknowledged Jan. 18 there have been major bumps in the road.

“I have to be forthright,” Inslee said. “Patience is going to be one of the most important assets for us in the upcoming weeks and months.”

The biggest roadblock to vaccine deliveries right now, according to Inslee, is the federal allotment the state is receiving.

Inslee said he is confident the state would be able to get an increasing number of doses each month, but did not estimate how soon the federal government will be able to ramp up delivery.

Once doses are available, people who are 65 years or older, or who are 50 years or older and reside in a multi-generational household, are immediately eligible, he said.

For residents in rural counties, Inslee said the vaccine rollout could be slowed.

Even though the currently eligible population for a county may already be completed, across the state, there are still 1.1 million people who fall under the new age category, he said. Catching up with the backlog of medical workers who still need vaccines is also slowing the process.

Inslee said his goal is to make 45,000 doses available per day available; a list of mass vaccination sites will be ready by the week of Jan. 25.

A private-public partnership between Washington businesses is assisting with volunteers, planning, infrastructure, support and other tools to assist the state with vaccinations.